The four-day school week

The discussion in the state legislature about saving money by having school four days a week , or nine days out of ten, warrants serious discussion. After all, as one person noted, we are no longer an agrarian society.

Nope, we’re a society where there are lots of two-income households. So if the child is home one day a week, who stays home to watch him or her? This is already a scenario that takes place when a child is sick, if there is a school snow day, or other emergencies. For many households, this becomes a juggling act worthy of the finest circus.

It’s fun to assume that “somebody else” will fill in the gap. But who? The Y? Some social service agency? Or, perhaps in some ironic twist, the schools?

Of course, the solution that some families have been forced to use is create a society of unsupervised latchkey kids. Hey, it works so well for a couple hours a day, doesn’t it? What’s another few hours?

Seriously, such a plan has its benefits in terms of energy savings. My concern, besides the longer school day with less attentiveness and kids who depend on school lunches five days a week, is how the school-home balance beam is navigated.

2 Responses

The four day school week plan may have some financial benefits and even some academic ones but the bigger picture is the immense hardship on most families who, as you write, will have to develop child care programs for their children. Too many children are already being inadequately served by lackluster or unlicensed and unprofessional situations or just going home to empty houses. As you also write, for too many children, breakfast and lunch at school are main meals and with a four day a week plan, what will these children have for their meals? Let’s call it what it is-parents have long abdicated their primary roles and turned their children over to the state schools and now the state is saying that parents need to become part of the team and parents will revolt. Personally, the four day a week plan can work but without responsibility by parents for their children we will all suffer.